While it might be difficult to imagine some of our favorite characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe reaching the end of the line, the arrival of Thanos to Earth doesn`t promise a bright future for many characters — and the prospects of survival are much worse for some than for others.

Whether it`s a veteran of the MCU who might be on his way out like Robert Downey Jr.`s Iron Man, or a character whose very existence poses a problem for Thanos, such as Vision, there are plenty of reasons for some characters to die in "Infinity War."

Below are 9 characters who could die in "Avengers: Infinity War," ranked from least to most likely:

9. Tony Stark/Iron Man

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced some notable characters recently that could lead the franchise into the future, like Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther. That means that the past may not be as significant anymore.

"Iron Man" kicked off the MCU in 2008, and Robert Downey, Jr. has served the character well. We`d hate to see him go, but that`s also 10 years worth of suiting up and protecting the world from danger. Seven major roles as Iron Man later — three "Avengers" movies, three "Iron Man" movies, and a prominent part in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" — and maybe Downey wants to hang up the armor for good. What better way to go out than during the biggest superhero movie of all time?

8. Bruce Banner/The Hulk

Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, already exiled himself to another planet at the end of "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Now that he`s back on Earth (just in time for the fun!), it wouldn`t be a stretch for Banner to want to sacrifice himself to not only save his friends from Thanos, but rid the world of the danger of the Hulk.

Plus, Marvel doesn`t seem interested in making a Hulk standalone movie. The last one, "The Incredible Hulk" in 2008, is one of the worst reviewed movies in the MCU, with 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. The character was recast from Edward Norton to Ruffalo for "The Avengers," and since then, the Hulk has only appeared in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Thor: Ragnarok." It wouldn`t be hard for Marvel to get rid of him.

7. Wong

Wong already died in "Doctor Strange" and was revived by Strange with the time stone. So it`s not a stretch to say he might be expendable in an epic like "Avengers: Infinity War."

Apple is building its own screens, according to a report in Bloomberg.

It`s the latest sign that Apple wants to own all the core technologies that go into its products.

Apple already designs its own processors, programming languages, and GPUs.

Apple is executing on a years-long strategy to own all the core technologies that go into its products.

If it`s successful, it could mean that Apple could have a major advantage over Samsung and other Android phone makers: features they can`t copy.

The latest project that Apple is striking out on may be its biggest yet — it wants to design and build its own screen, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

Currently, Apple buys its displays from companies like Samsung. This means that while the parts that go into devices such as the iPhone X are tuned and customized, they are generally available to other companies. For example, other devices including the Samsung Galaxy S9 use OLED displays provided by Samsung.

So Apple has built its own display manufacturing facility in California, according to Bloomberg. This factory is dedicated to building screens using a technology called MicroLED, which is emerging and hasn`t yet been used on mainstream products. Apple`s hoping to use them on the Apple Watch, and current working MicroLED prototypes are brighter and have a finer level of control over colors, according to the report.

It`s sure to be a long and expensive process, but Apple can afford it. Apple currently has 300 engineers on the project, and it won`t be ready for mass production for at least three years, and it could get killed before then.

If Apple succeeds, then it will have something that no other smartphone maker can match.

Not the first time

Apple`s project to build its own screens is only the latest sign that the company wants to design and own every important part that goes into the iPhone.

This mission started in 2008, when Apple bought a little-known chip company called PA Semi. That technology and team eventually produced a custom Apple processor called the A4, which debuted in the iPad in 2010.

That seems to have worked out — Apple has used its own custom chips in all iPhones and iPads since then, and they`ve gotten really good. The A11 chip in the latest iPhones may even be faster at some tasks than desktop processors made by Intel.

"Apple now finds itself making bets in terms of controlling core components in products," independent Apple analyst Neil Cybart wrote in December, before Apple`s display plans were revealed.

It`s not just chips and screens. Apple has also designed and owned its fingerprint sensor technology, Touch ID, created its own wireless chip, W1, and recently introduced its own graphics processor, jettisoning Imagination Technologies, which previously provided the technology for iPhone graphics.

It also owns many of the key software and hardware components that are needed to build the True Depth camera used on the iPhone X to securely lock and unlock the device. In 2014, it announced its own programming language, Swift, that can be used to build apps and software for Apple computers.

Apple is also likely to build its own wireless modem chip that will enable its devices to connect to high-speed cellular networks. It`s currently in a bitter legal battle with Qualcomm, its previous modem supplier, which many industry observers believe is a prelude to introducing its own modem.

"Apple is moving to the point at which it will have near complete control over every major component powering its device. Whether it is seen in new kinds of displays, smarter cameras, or custom silicon, hardware has a role to play in pushing more intelligent software and services," Cybart continued.

Remember the Marlboro Man? He was a sexy vision of the American west, created by a cigarette corporation to sell a fatal product. People knew this and used that product anyway, at great detriment to themselves and those around them who quietly inhaled toxic secondhand smoke, day into long night.

An agreement between states and tobacco companies banished the rugged cowboy at the end of the 1990s, but the symbol is useful even 20 years later as we contend with a less deadly but no less frightening corporate force. Social networks that many of us signed up for in simpler times — a proverbial first smoke — have become gargantuan archives of our personal data. Now, that data is collected and leveraged by bad actors in an attempt to manipulate you and your friends. Read more...

Twitter will soon ban several types of cryptocurrency ads on its platform, Sky News reported Sunday.

The ban, that is slated to go live in two weeks, will be global and it will prohibit ads for initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrency wallets. Twitter might also ban ads for cryptocurrency exchanges — with some "limited exceptions," the report claims.

If the report is accurate, it would mean Twitter is following in the footsteps of Facebook and Google. Both companies have recently banned all cryptocurrency ads on their respective platforms — though Google`s ban goes into full effect in June this year. Read more...

It wasn’t just an ordinary day at work for employees of a water company in the Netherlands, who earlier this month stumbled upon an earthenware cooking pot containing around 500 gold and silver coins dating to the 15th century while laying pipes at a building site.

“It didn’t happen,” Moussa said emphatically in a formal statement issued on Monday March 19. He also condemned inciting the boycott of elections. He described whoever calls for boycotting the elections as “the state’s enemies”.

He affirmed that he will take all legal procedures against anyone who tries to manipulate the Egyptian people.

On Friday, March 16, Moussa issued a statement expressing his campaign’s satisfaction regarding the smooth electoral process that took place on the first day of voting for Egyptians abroad.

A spokesperson of Moussa’s campaign praised the NEA’s efforts in successfully coordinating with the Foreign Ministry to facilitate the electoral process for Egyptian voters abroad.

He also stated that no grave violations concerning the credibility and fairness of the electoral process have been monitored by the party’s operation room, adding that the party’s representatives abroad observed that the polling stations were abundant and located close to areas where Egyptian communities are concentrated.

On January 25, Al-Ghad Party Chairman Moussa Moustafa Moussa, announced that he would run for president. He eventually managed to collect the required endorsements from 20 members of the Parliament, the majority of whom represent Menoufia governorate.

On Friday, eligible Egyptian voters across the world started casting their ballots at the Egyptian embassies.

President Abdel Fatah al Sisi and Moussa Moustafa Mossua are the only candidates approved to run in the election. The voting process officially commences for Egyptians residing inside the country on March 26 and will last until March 28.

Meanwhile, Tayyeb hailed similarities between Al Azhar and the Mauritanian educational institutions and their role in spreading the values of moderation and countering terrorism. He also said that Al Azhar is ready to grant a number of scholarships for studying at its faculties.

ROME (Reuters) - An Italian court has seized a charity ship on charges that its crew helped illegal immigration by rescuing more than 200 migrants from boats before Libya`s coastguard could move in to take them back to Africa, the aid group said.

Ever seen your dream job posted on LinkedIn, but been too lazy to ask for a referral? You`re in luck: LinkedIn now does that for you.

LinkedIn has rolled out "Ask for a Referral," a feature that will allow you to ask LinkedIn connections for a referral with a single click. The online employment service has been testing the feature over the past month.

Now, whenever you`re looking at a job posting where a connection works, an option to "Ask for a referral" will appear. Clicking this button will open a pre-written LinkedIn message to your connection. Read more...

A small chorus of analysts say they are lowering their iPhone X sales estimates because the phone is too expensive.

"Many component suppliers for iPhone X have seen very low shipments since Feb," a note from Nomura says.

"We do not believe it is coincidence that the highest end of the product portfolio, the X, is the model that is flagging."

The analyst team at Nomura has joined its colleagues at Longbow Research and Bernstein in expressing alarm at what it sees as lackluster sales of the iPhone X.

Nomura`s Anne Lee and her team lowered their prediction of iPhone X sales for the first quarter of this year (Apple`s fiscal second quarter) to between 8 million and 12 million units, down from their prior forecast of 13 million to 18 million. "Many component suppliers for iPhone X have seen very low shipments since Feb, which could cause very low utilisation rate and poor mix for 1H18F," she told clients Monday.

Her colleague Jeffrey Kvaal and his team blamed the price of the iPhone X, which is about 1,000 in the US and £1,000 in the UK.

The "market may no longer tolerate rising ASPs," he wrote, referring to the iPhone`s average selling price.

"One factor that is likely suppressing the smartphone market is price," he added. "We see several indications the market elasticity is falling. Obviously, Apple`s iPhone ASPs have climbed from 645 in FY16; we model 742 in FY18. We do not believe it is coincidence that the highest end of the product portfolio, the X, is the model that is flagging."

He also reduced his estimate of Apple`s earnings for the full fiscal year. "We thus lower our FY2018 iPhone units from 226mn to 221mn, below consensus of 224mn and our EPS from 11.56 to 11.40, also below consensus of 11.48. We maintain our 175 target and Neutral rating."

Prior to that, the Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi Jr. published a note saying he believed that the secondhand iPhone market was cannibalizing sales of new iPhones. The useful life of an iPhone has become longer over time, up to four years with careful use. Many people are choosing a used iPhone on the secondhand market over the cost of a new phone. After all, the iOS experience is largely the same on all iPhone models. "The upshot is that Apple`s iPhone installed base growth of *new* phones — likely the best leading indicator of future iPhone sales — may be lower than many realize, and looks to be flat in FY 18," he told clients.

Kvaal touched on that too: "As replacement cycles lengthen, the average upgrade rate is at its lowest in years. C4Q was only 7.6%, below the prior three years of 10.8%, 8.8%, and 8.4%." He believes that Apple`s massive pool of existing users will eventually spur new iPhone sales, however, because "replacement rates will not lengthen forever."

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - France urged the European Union on Monday to consider new sanctions on Iran over its involvement in Syria`s civil war and its ballistic missile program, as Paris tries to persuade Washington to preserve a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

Seeing our planet from space is a rare treat: Fewer than 540 people have ever left the Earth.

Seven astronauts who`ve blasted off from our planet with NASA came together this week for the premiere of the National Geographic series One Strange Rock. The show, produced by Darren Aronofsky, takes an up-close look at how life on Earth works from a range of perspectives: it juxtaposes macro views of the planet from space with micro-shots of some of the tiniest oxygen-producing organisms, which are four times thinner than a human hair.

Aronofsky said the program aims to show off "the beautiful clockwork" of the Earth. "It`s much more complicated than anything a human could conceive of," he said.

The astronauts featured in the series said that leaving the Earth changed how they see our world in remarkable ways. Some gained a different kind of understanding of the science they were taught as kids, while others gained an appreciation for the fact that we don`t have to recycle our urine to make coffee here.

The seven astronauts sat down to chat with us about what going to space is really like. Here`s what they had to say:

Astronauts have a wide variety of reactions to living in space. Some said it made them feel small and insignificant, others said it make them feel like a god.

But one common theme emerged: being in space gives astronauts a chance to connect to their home in a whole new way.

"It got rid of that feeling of insignificance," Astronaut Mae Jemison, who went to space in 1992, said of the experience. "I was as much a part of this universe as any speck of stardust. I had as much right to be here."

Astronaut Jerry Linenger said that when he was looking down at the Earth, he sometimes felt like a cosmic creator. "I am like god!" he said.

News broke over the weekend that Cambridge Analytica, a controversial political research company with links to Donald Trump, had accessed 50 million Facebook user profiles illegitimately.

Facebook suspended Cambridge Analytica from its platform, but is under huge political pressure to explain how it can stop third parties from abusing its massive data trove.

Facebook`s share price has dropped 4.05% in pre-market trading, likely thanks to the news that political research firm Cambridge Analytica used its site to harvest 50 million user profiles illegitimately.

According to Markets Insider, Facebook`s share price stands at 177.60 in pre-market trading, down from a 185.09 at close on Friday. The drop wipes around 21 million off Facebook`s market cap.

Lawmakers in the US and the UK are examining Facebook and its role in election interference

Facebook is under huge pressure from lawmakers in the US and UK over the way it handles user data, and how that data might be manipulated for targeted political advertising.

A former Cambridge Analytica employee, Christopher Wylie, blew the whistle, saying: "We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people`s profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis that the entire company was built on."

Cambridge Analytica managed to access the data after teaming up with a University of Cambridge psychology professor, Aleksandr Kogan, and his company Global Science Research (GSR) in 2014. GSR had developed an app, "thisisyourdigitallife," which examined what people "liked" on Facebook. Cambridge Analytica and GSR paid around 270,000 people to download the app and take the personality test — but the app also syphoned off data about the users` friends.

Facebook eventually became aware of the app, and asked GSR and Cambridge Analytica to delete all the data they held on users. But The New York Times found Cambridge Analytica still held most of the data. Facebook suspended the company from its platform on Friday, prior to the full revelations becoming public but after it had been notified that the story was being published.

And Damian Collins, the British politician overseeing a select committee investigation into fake news, said on Sunday that Cambridge Analytica and "deliberately mislead [sic]" MPs over its use of Facebook data.

He also said Facebook executives had tried to avoid tough questions over its role in spreading fake news and election interference.

"Alexander Nix denied to the Committee last month that his company had received any data from the Global Science Research company (GSR). From the evidence that has been published by The Guardian and The Observer this weekend, it seems clear that he has deliberately mislead the Committee and Parliament by giving false statements," he said."

He added: "I will be writing to Mark Zuckerberg asking that either he, or another senior executive from the company, appear to give evidence in front of the Committee as part our inquiry. It is not acceptable that they have previously sent witnesses who seek to avoid asking difficult questions by claiming not to know the answers. This also creates a false reassurance that Facebook`s stated policies are always robust and effectively policed."

BEIRUT (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad flaunted government advances in Syria`s seven-year war by filming himself driving to meet frontline soldiers near Damascus, making a video of the journey from the city center into areas recently recaptured.

SALISBURY, England (Reuters) - Inspectors from the world`s chemical weapons watchdog on Monday began examining the poison used to strike down a former Russian double agent in England, in an attack that London blames on Moscow.

A model of a planned new capital for Egypt is displayed for investors during the final day of Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) in Sharm el-Sheikh, in the South Sinai governorate, south of Cairo, 28 March, 2015 Reuters

Chinese banks are set to finance New Egypt Capital’s Tower District that is being developed by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) as part of Egypt’s new administrative capital mega project.

The banks to finance about 85 percent – or US 3 billion – to cover the expenses of the tower district while Egypt’s Housing Ministry to cover the rest of the costs. The tower district is expected to include 20 high rise buildings and a 385-meter-tower which is expected to be the tallest in Africa, accordingto Chinese newspaper Xinhua.

In October 2017, Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated the first phase of Egypt’s new capital in a ceremony where al-Sisi said that the mega-project “will be remembered by history”.

The mega-project is part of the government’s plan to expand urban areas; it also functions as a tool to stand against the country’s rapid population growth rate.

However, urban planners have criticised the mega-project. They have said that Egypt does not need new cities, but it needs to solve problems related to basic rights of housing and infrastructure. The poor continue to suffer from the lack of access to water, stable and safe infrastructure among many others.

China and Egypt have signed more agreements as a sign of growing economic tied between both countries.

In August 2017, the countries signed an agreement worth around US 1.2 billion to construct a fast tram transit system connecting Greater Cairo with the new Administrative Capital.

The proposed light rail train is due to cover 66 kilometers and consist of 11 stations. The fast tram is expected to be able to reach 120 kilometers per hour, and connect the region’s upcoming Administrative Capital with other districts around Greater Cairo, such as Shorouk City, Obour City, Al-Salam, 10th Ramadan City, and Badr City.

In addition, the railway system will have a connection to the city’s general metro line through the Adly Mansour station located in Al-Salam City.

Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work.

Mike Pence may have his fans, but John Oliver is most definitely not one of them. Not at all.

In the 20-minute rant above, Oliver breaks down some of the shadier aspects of the US Vice President`s past — including his continuing friendship with Dr James Dobson, an outspoken believer that "homosexuality is preventable and treatable".

How the seasons work in the UK:Jan - ColdFeb – Still ColdMar – Still cold but snow nowApr - RainMay – More rainJun – Why is it still rainingJuly - BEESAug – Oh god it is so hotSept – I miss the heatOct – Heat is simply a memoryNov - ColdDec – Cold but with capitalism

BAGHDAD - 19 March 2018: Iraq sent money to pay salaries of state employees in the Kurdish region on Monday for the first time since 2014, the Baghdad government said, although a dispute over how much it will send the Kurds in future remains unresolved.

Monday’s agreement represents a step toward normalizing relations between the central government and the autonomous Kurdish region, which held a vote for independence last year that the central government swiftly crushed.

Under the constitution, the Kurdish region is entitled to a share of the national budget. But that arrangement collapsed in 2014, when Iraq’s army fled the north in the face of an advance by Islamic State militants.

The Kurds seized control of Iraq’s main northern oil fields at Kirkuk from Islamic State and began selling Kirkuk’s oil independently; Baghdad stopped sending money to the Kurds.

Last year, after Islamic State was driven out of the north, the Kurds held an independence referendum, voting overwhelmingly to secede. But the central government responded by swiftly launching a military offensive and recapturing control of Kirkuk, which quashed the Kurdish independence bid.

The central government and the Kurds have yet to agree on a full plan to resume payments from Baghdad to the Kurdish region.

The 2018 budget, passed in parliament earlier this month despite a boycott by Kurdish lawmakers, calls for the 17 percent of total revenue allocated to the Kurds to be cut in line with the region’s share of Iraq’s population, which is disputed.

The Kurdish region still conducts independent oil sales, although it has far less oil to sell now that it no longer controls Kirkuk.

Hadithi said the transfer would cover the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) salaries for a month, for employees of all ministries and for the Peshmerga Kurdish security forces.

In a statement, the KRG said its finance ministry had received the transfer and would distribute it.

Asked about future payments to the KRG to cover salaries, Hadithi said the federal government would agree to pay a portion while the rest should be covered by the KRG from its oil sales.

Other measures imposed by Baghdad to curtail the Kurdish region’s autonomy in the wake of last year’s referendum are gradually being eased, including a ban on direct international flights which was lifted last week. The first international flight landed at Erbil airport on Monday morning.

However, the issues of the KRG’s independent oil sales and share of the budget remain unresolved.

Baghdad has sent teams of auditors to Kurdistan in recent months to assess the number of employees on the region’s payroll. A statement from the Prime Minister’s office announcing the agreement on Monday, specified that the audit was ongoing.

CAIRO - 19 March 2018: At least 30 takfiri elements have been killed in a shootout with military troops in North and Central Sinai as part of an operation going on on the peninsula now, a statement by the Armed Forces said Monday.

The elements had firearms and walkie-talkies on them.

Six more takfiris have also been killed in an exchange of fire with the troops, who had information about an abandoned house they were hiding in in Arish.

The troops seized three machine guns and an explosive charge inside the house.

The air force, meanwhile, destroyed a booby-trapped 4x4 vehicle and 12 hideouts of terrorists.

A booby-trapped car full of explosive materials was also destroyed as it attempted to storm a security checkpoint southwest of Arish.

A military force also stormed a terrorist hideout in Rafah and found two rifles, three machine guns, a pistol and RPG shells.

As many as 345 persons, including takfiris and wanted criminals, have been arrested.

Also 386 hideouts, depots and tunnels have been destroyed in North and Central Sinai.

CAIRO - 19 March 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of his re-election for a new presidential term, wishing prosperity and progress for the Russian people, according to a statement released by the presidency on Monday.

Sisi also praised the strategic relations between Egypt and Russia, highlighting the two sides` keenness on developing and enhancing them for the best interests of the two peoples.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is close to offering Britain a deal on a post-Brexit status quo transition, EU diplomats and officials said on Monday, as Ireland sought assurances any agreement would not let London water down pledges on its Northern Irish border.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin basked in his biggest ever election victory on Monday, extending his rule over the world`s largest country for another six years at a time when his ties with the West are on a hostile trajectory.

Tennis star Martina Navratilova has claimed she gets paid a mere tenth of John McEnroe`s salary for her work as a commentator at Wimbledon.

Speaking on BBC Panorama, the Czech tennis champion—who`s considered among the best female tennis players of all time— revealed that she gets paid about £15K (21K) for her role as a Wimbledon commentator, while John McEnroe earns £150K (209K) for the same work.

Navratilova said it was "a shock" to discover the difference in earnings. "Unless John McEnroe`s doing a whole bunch of stuff outside Wimbledon, he`s getting at least ten times as much money than I am for very comparable work," Navratilova said. Read more...

A small chorus of analysts says they are lowering their estimates of sales of iPhone X because it is too expensive.

"Many component suppliers for iPhone X have seen very low shipments since Feb," a note from Nomura says.

"We do not believe it is coincidence that the highest end of the product portfolio, the X, is the model that is flagging."

The analyst team at Nomura has joined their colleagues at Longbow Research and Bernstein in expressing alarm at what they believe are lackluster sales of iPhone X.

Nomura`s Anne Lee and her team lowered their prediction of iPhone X sales for Q1 2018 (Apple`s fiscal second quarter) to between 8 million and 12 million units, down from their prior forecast of 13 million to 18 million. "Many component suppliers for iPhone X have seen very low shipments since Feb, which could cause very low utilisation rate and poor mix for 1H18F," she told clients today.

Her colleague Jeffrey Kvaal and his team blamed the price of the iPhone X, which is around 1,000 in the US and £1,000 in the UK.

The "market may no longer tolerate rising ASPs," he wrote, referring to the iPhone`s "average selling price":

"One factor that is likely suppressing the smartphone market is price. We see several indications the market elasticity is falling. Obviously, Apple’s iPhone ASPs have climbed from 645 in FY16; we model 742 in FY18. We do not believe it is coincidence that the highest end of the product portfolio, the X, is the model that is flagging."

He also reduced his estimate of Apple`s earnings for the full fiscal year. "We thus lower our FY2018 iPhone units from 226mn to 221mn, below consensus of 224mn and our EPS from 11.56 to 11.40, also below consensus of 11.48. We maintain our 175 target and Neutral rating."

Prior to that Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi Jr. published a note saying that he believed the second-hand iPhone market is cannibalising new iPhone sales. The useful life of an iPhone has become longer over time, up to four years with careful use. Many people are choosing a used iPhone on the second-hand market over the cost of a new phone. After all, the iOS experience is largely the same on all iPhone models. "The upshot is that Apple`s iPhone installed base growth of *new* phones — likely the best leading indicator of future iPhone sales — may be lower than many realize, and looks to be flat in FY 18," he told clients.

Kvaal touched on that too. "As replacement cycles lengthen, the average upgrade rate is at its lowest in years. C4Q was only 7.6%, below the prior three years of 10.8%, 8.8%, and 8.4%." He believes that Apple`s massive "installed base" of existing users will eventually spur new iPhone sales because "replacement rates will not lengthen forever."

CAIRO - 19 March 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir on Monday at the Cairo International Airport.

Both leader will discuss the outstanding issues between the two countries based on the agreement reached at the recent Addis Ababa Summit.

The one-day visit will also focus on tackling cooperation across various fields, as well as issues of joint interest, said Egyptian Presidency spokesperson Bassam Radi in a statement on Sunday.

Egyptian relations with Sudan were recently strained over the disputed border area of Halaib and Shalateen. On December 23, 2017, Sudan filed a complaint to the United Nations Secretariat to protest a maritime border demarcation deal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as the deal denotes the territory as Egyptian on maps.

Halaib and Shalateen, or the Halaib Triangle, is an area of land measuring 20,580 square kilometers, located at the Egyptian-Sudanese border on the Red Sea coast. It is part of the Red Sea governorate and consists of three major towns – Halaib (which became a city in February 2014), Abu Ramad and Shalateen.

The area belongs to Egypt politically and administratively, but has been one of the major sticking points in Egyptian-Sudanese relations since the demarcation of borders between the two countries were carried out during the British occupation of Egypt in 1899, at a time when Sudan was part of the Egyptian Kingdom.

RIYADH (Reuters) - Women in Saudi Arabia need not wear headcover or the black abaya - the loose-fitting, full-length robes symbolic of Islamic piety - as long as their attire is "decent and respectful", the kingdom`s reform-minded crown prince said.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish forces will not remain in Syria`s Afrin and will leave the region to its "real owners", Ankara`s main spokesman said on Monday, after Turkey`s military and its Syrian rebel allies stormed the town over the weekend.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU Brexit negotiators summoned national envoys and journalists at short notice on Monday as speculation mounted among diplomats of an interim deal to grant Britain a transition -- though some urged caution.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union must discuss Iran`s role in Syria and Yemen, as well as its ballistic missiles program, France said on Monday, as it seeks to preserve the 2015 nuclear accord by a May 12 ultimatum set by U.S. President Donald Trump.

CAIRO - 19 March 2018: The 2018 Egyptian Presidential election polling stations in Los Angeles started to sort out the ballots after the end of the voting process for Egyptian expats on Sunday.

Egyptian expatriates in 129 countries headed to the Egyptian embassies and consulates over the span of three days to cast their votes on the 2018 presidential election.

The election was being conducted in 139 embassies and consulates across 129 countries according to data from the NEA. Consulates and embassies in different countries officially opened their doors on Friday at 9:00 a.m. local time in each country.

Votes are being tallied at Egyptian embassies and consulates in Bahrain, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Angola.

Sixty million eligible voters at home are due to cast their ballots in the country`s 27 governorates starting March 26 until 28.

CAIRO – 19 March 2018: Interior Ministry said Sunday it is able to monitor the situation in many border cities and is ready to provide assistance to forces there when required.

Colonel Ayman al-Beshlawi, head of the newly activated Communications and Crisis Management Center of the Interior Ministry said in a press conference that the center aims to “face crises before they happen.”

The ministry supplied all police operation rooms in the directorates nationwide with digital maps systems, which enable each directorate to get information about and manage its forces, said Beshlawi.

Wireless networks allow the ministry to be connected to many border towns, Beshlawi said. In case any crisis occurs, the ministry can spot it on the digital maps that allow the ministry to evaluate the situation before providing necessary assistance.

The digital maps system covers a distance of 200 kilometers from the transmitter station, Beshlawi said, adding that the ministry has recently resorted to the use of HF radios during operations carried out by forces in mountainous areas.

HF radios enable the ministry to monitor their forces and are known for covering long distances effectively, although they are of low speed. They are used extensively in modern military communications.

On March 14, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi visited the Interior Ministry to follow up on police efforts regarding the Sinai 2018 anti-terrorism operation.

He also followed up on their efforts in maintaining order and stability in all parts of the country, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement.

Operation Sinai 2018 was launched on February 9 to eradicate terror and terrorists in the peninsula.

Apple is working on a new type of LED display in a secret facility in California, Bloombergreported Monday.

The screen tech, called MicroLED, is similar to OLED in some respects (both don`t require backlight and offer better contrast than LCDs) but has better brightness and consumes less energy. However, MicroLED is harder to produce than OLED, which is why the technology hasn`t been successfully commercialized yet.

The fact that Apple is interested in MicroLED isn`t new; the company acquired MicroLED developer LuxVue in May 2014. Back then, rumors had it that Apple will use MicroLED in its then-upcoming Watch, but the company ended up using an OLED screen. Read more...

Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes ultimately made 500 million for helping his Harvard roommate Mark Zuckerberg build the company in its first three years.

Hughes bought The New Republic magazine, a long-running liberal journal, in 2012, with hopes of making it a financially stable mainstream success.

After investing 25 million into it and losing three quarters of his staff over editorial changes, the magazine barely added any readers, and he sold it in 2016.

Hughes told us it taught him that ambitious goals should not require radical means to achieve them.

Chris Hughes was feeling at the top of his game in 2012. He cashed out his remaining stake in Facebook, the company he helped his Harvard roommate Mark Zuckerberg build in its early days, for a total of around 500 million when it went public in May. He also still had clout from his success as a digital strategist for Barack Obama`s 2008 presidential campaign.

"I loved the journalism that The New Republic had done for decades, nearly a century at that point, and really believed that more people should be reading it," he said.

Four years and 25 million later, however, and Hughes had lost three quarters of his staff and was trashed in the media. He was forced to sell.

Hughes is now the founding CEO of the Economic Security Project, a nonprofit advocating for a guaranteed income in the United States, and he used his recent book "Fair Shot" to finally speak about The New Republic fiasco. He said that it actually taught him a valuable lesson about expectations and risk that he`s since been mindful of.

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"I took those early lessons from Facebook and the Obama campaign and set really unrealistic goals," he told us. "Those goals I do regret. I wanted to take the journalism and move it to an audience of millions, or tens of millions, and, in the process, skipped over the fact that The New Republic was a small print magazine with a circulation of 35,000 when I bought it."

After Hughes bought the magazine, he envisioned it as a magazine that could be relevant in the mainstream and still smart. He moved its offices from Washington, DC to New York and made editorial changes that ramped up production of daily stories and revamped the magazine`s layout and website. Much of his newsroom rejected these changes, casting him as a patronizing tech millionaire trying to commoditize journalism and destroying it in the process.

Twenty employees and 36 of 38 contributing editors resigned. Many of them vented their anger publicly, and Hughes` years of glowing press turned sour.

In his book, Hughes said that he felt that he was once again being cast in an extreme light. As he saw it, he wasn`t the hero people wanted him to be in the Obama campaign, and he wasn`t the villain people wanted him to be at the New Republic. He was, he explained, trying to save a beloved magazine from extinction by transforming it, and doing so in a way that was ignoring the desires of his staff.

On top of the drama, the needle barely moved in terms of subscriptions and online readers. The attempt had failed.

"And I think I would have been better served and the institution would have been better served had I adapted more modest means to the enterprise," he told us. He was writing checks for 500,000 each month and digging himself deeper into a hole. "If I`d invested that kind of money, but over a longer period, and instead of trying to reach tens of millions all of a sudden with a somewhat niche kind of magazine, trying to reach a smaller and more engaged audience," he`d have had a better shot at enhancing the magazine without prompting mutiny.

He doesn`t see it as a total loss, noting that he`s proud of a lot of stories published and user experience changes made under his tenure, but sees where he made mistakes.

"I mean, that`s why I didn`t start an organization to campaign for UBI right off the bat," he said, referring to Universal Basic Income, a system in which every citizen receives a guaranteed income regardless of their circumstances. Instead, Hughes` organization is advocating for a guaranteed income of a monthly 500 sent to working Americans making under 50,000. It is certainly quite ambitious, but one Hughes doesn`t see as impossible, and he is willing to support policies that gradually ease into it.

As he wrote in "Fair Shot," his failure at the New Republic taught him that, "just because an idea is bold does not mean that the means to achieve it need be. A prosaic and incremental approach can be a more effective way to put poetic ideals into practice."

TORONTO (Reuters) - Buffered by three oceans and the United States to the south, Canada has for decades had the luxury of being able to pick and choose its newcomers. So few asylum seekers crossed the U.S. border illegally over the years that Canada didn’t consistently track the numbers.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Japan on March 20-21 to discuss bilateral relations and international issues including the situation on the Korean peninsula, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

CAIRO - 19 March 2018: Minister of Immigration and Expatriates` Affairs Nabila Makram praised the efforts exerted by the Egyptian diplomats and members of the diplomatic corps as well as Egyptian communities` unions in the presidential polls that were held abroad over the past three days.

In statements on Monday, Makram lauded the remarkable turnout on the presidential polls that were held on March 16-18 in 139 electoral committees in 124 countries worldwide.

She said this high turnout of the Egyptian expats showed their strong affiliation to their homeland and reflected the fact that they are part and parcel of the political decision-making in Egypt.

Makram also said the ministry`s operation room has been electronically linked with the premises of the diplomatic missions abroad to follow the voting process minute by minute.

She also praised the active role of Egyptian women at the presidential elections, adding that the operation room has recorded a high turnout by Egyptian families and employees in all countries, especially in Arab ones such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

The ministry said any inquiries or complaints have been immediately handled upon receiving them whether by phone or by email, she said, adding that the operation room responded to 270 inquiries by Egyptian expats over the past days.

CAIRO – 19 March 2018: Elements of the Egyptian Armed Forces left for Saudi Arabia to partake in (Gulf Shield 1) joint drills with the participation of ground, naval and air forces from the GCC member states and a number of sisterly countries.

In a statement on Monday, the Armed Forces said the drills aim at exchanging expertise in the fields of planning, organizing and implementing different training activities and developing the military readiness of participating countries to secure vital targets, face possible threats and protect maritime corridors.

The drills come as part of Egyptian Armed Forces` plan of holding joint military exercises with their counterparts in sisterly countries to boost military cooperation.

The Series A round was led by Softbank Ventures, and Andreessen Horowitz OS Fund joined in on the round.

The company hopes to find new treatments that can then be put to the test in animal, and then ideally human trials, without using a traditional lab.

TwoXAR, a startup that`s using software to discover new drugs that can be put to the test to treat different conditions, just raised 10 million.

The Series A round was led by Softbank Ventures, and Andreessen Horowitz OS Fund joined in on the round.

The company was founded by Andrew Radin and Andrew Radin. Andrew A. Radin is CEO, while Andrew M. Radin is chief marketing officer. The name twoXAR is a nod to the founders have the same name (two times their initials, AR).

JP Lee, managing director at Softbank Ventures, told Business Insider that the firm had been looking for investments in which artificial intelligence could be used to save time or cost by reducing how much work humans have to do. TwoXAR`s software-based drug discovery platform fit the bill.

"Basically, they`re all purely software-based; they don`t even have their own lab," Lee said.

Here`s how that works:

Take a pharmaceutical company on the hunt for new drugs to add to its drug development portfolio. Traditionally, that company would work to figure out the science behind a particular disease, working to find disease targets it could then design drugs to go after. Ths can be a lengthy process involving a lot of lab work and uncertainty that the drug designed will work once you start to test it in animals.

Should a pharma company decide to work with twoXAR on it, the company can say they`re looking for new treatments in a particular disease area, like diabetes. twoXAR can pick it up from there, finding the targets, designing the drugs, and getting them ready to put into pre-clinical, animal testing. The startup charges for that work, but once it`s done, the drug candidate goes back into the pharmaceutical company`s hands.

TwoXAR also plans to discover drugs on its own. To start, the plan is to go into areas like cancer, dermatology, ophthalmology, and immunology.

For example, in 2017, twoXAR collaborated with the Asian Liver Center at Stanford to discover TXR-311, an experimental drug for liver cancer. The drug, twoXAR said, showed "positive results in cell-based assays."

Now that the company`s been able to show that its program works through the liver cancer drug candidate, the Series A funding will be used to open the company up for business and take on more projects, Andrew A. Radin said.

Applying artificial intelligence to the drug discovery process — which can often be a long, expensive process — has started attracting more attention from investors. For example, Atomwise, which designs drugs that companies can then test out, raised 45 million in its Series A round on March 7. IBM`s Watson AI is also been used in drug discovery.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Monday it had arrested a French citizen, an employee of France`s consulate in Jerusalem, on suspicion of using a diplomatic car to smuggle guns from the Islamist Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.